Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Facebook marketing is going to kill me/my wallet. About 4 months ago, I fell prey, once again, to repeat sidebar ads and bought into Function of Beauty, a customized shampoo/conditioner company. I'm pretty sure I filled out the quiz at like 11pm on a bus back from a softball game, so I should probably stop carrying my credit card with me...

How it Works // FoB is a company that lets you personalize your hair care products, to an impressive level of detail. The quiz you take is pretty in-depth, and allowed me to address some of my unique hair needs (super thick, straight-ish hair that I need to volumize). I liked that I could choose up to 5 goals, but didn't need to, I really felt like they were listening to what I wanted.

And obviously, I liked that I could make it ridiculous colors and choose my scent (grapefruit hibiscus)

What I Thought // I have pretty easy-to-manage hair, so I didn't have high hopes for this stuff. Almost anything can clean my hair well enough, so it's hard to impress me. This stuff, however, did. My hair is volumized and soft, and my clean hair lasts longer (2-3 days, instead of 1-2). The only additional product I use is this, and I have consistent, easy good hair days. I travelled recently and brought samples of other shampoos, and I really regretted it, my hair didn't look nearly as good.

Overall, I am thrilled. It's definitely worth paying a little extra for me, considering the rest of my hair care routine is very low maintenance, and I love that I can buy more shampoo than conditioner, because now I run out at the same time. If you're interested in trying it out, 5 dollars off here

Monday, July 24, 2017

Probably a more eloquent way of putting that, but here we are. This year, I'm not planning on actually shopping the hallowed Anniversary sale at all - I don't really need anything and doing some crazy travel this summer (cross country road trip and safari), so it doesn't make sense. That being said, if you are in need of some stuff for your closet, now is absolutely the time to shop. In case a sugar daddy materializes in the next few weeks, here are my picks -

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

I haven't written one of these since February, and have read 20 books since then, so we're going to do a greatest hits. Including one of my top 5 favorite books ever.

Exit West // As previously noted, the Amazon Best Books of the Month is my literary north star (and you, mother). Exit West received rave reviews and made it onto their Best of 2017 so far list, so it was a must for me. I, unfortunately, thought it fell flat. The basic plot is that the world falls apart (not too much of a stretch, tbh) and magic-ish doors start popping up, allowing people to travel to different locations by stepping through them. I was expecting adventure and intrigue, and instead, spent a whole bunch of time marooned in a London mansion. Beautifully written and an interesting concept, I didn't fall in love the way the rest of the world did.

Killers of the Flower Moon // Add this to the list of books interesting to people with forming inane and deep knowledge. I LOVED this book, but wouldn't say it's a literary masterstroke. If, however, you are interest in the FBI, or in Native American history (white people suck), I couldn't recommend it more highly. Basically, the Osage were treated unbelievably cruelly by their white neighbors, which eventually escalated to a rash of murders, which was solved by the early FBI. The history is incredibly detailed and interesting, but this is definitely not for the faint of heart or anyone expecting a John Grisham adventure.

The Hate U Give // Required reading, in my opinion. Told from the perspective of a black teenage girl in New Jersey (I think, it's unclear) who witnesses police violence on her black friend, I was so impressed by the authors ability to connect with her teenage protagonist, make a strong stand on police violence, and tell a mesmerizing story at once. The author does a beautiful job of helping the reader both understand white privilege and what it feels like to not benefit from it. Far from a angry/preachy dialogue, I felt like her combination of stark criticism of our current social situation and humor (these families are just families who love each other) made an enormous impact.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine // Spoiler alert, Eleanor is not fine. She is, however, witty, delightfully odd and a deliciously flawed main character. I had a tough time in the very beginning, in that I didn't immediately connect with her. Eventually, though, she wore me down, and I devoured the rest of the book. Light on plot, the character development is superb, and I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns, and by the ending. I would definitely recommend it.

Beartown // The aforementioned new favorite book. I started it on the bus ride back from a softball game and stayed up to an unprecedented 2 am to finish it. Guys, it's so good and so hard and so lovely. It's not a feel good story, but I think Fredrik Backman tells a better story than almost anyone else. It's about a hockey-obsessed town moving through the end of a phenomenal season, told from the point of view of the players, their coaches and other people in their orbit. There is a sexual assault story line, as a warning, but it that doesn't deter you, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Hellloooooo from the other sideeeeeee. Guys, this spring kicked my butt. And also, I didn't feel like blogging. This summer has been all about getting myself back on track, which included rekindling the writing flame, so here we are. With a riveting review of a subscription service. Woot.

I subscribed to FabFitFun in a moment of instragram induced weakness. My least favorite thing about the service is that everyone and their mother promotes them (not me, fwiw), which means that I am inundated with pictures of the boxes. It did, however, work. I bought in on the month that one of my favorite skincare products (this) was in it, and cost more than the subscription did, figuring that even if I hated the rest of the box, I got a thing I knew I would like for cheaper than it retailed for.

In the boxes since, I have been impressed with the variety of high quality products that get sent. It is a deeply random assortment, but it feels a bit like getting a Christmas stocking once a season, and I do love stockings. So far, there have been no products that I chuck outright, knowing I won't use them, and there have been several that I have repurchased (including gummy vitamins I ate like they were fruit snacks). I really appreciate that the samples are 'real' products - I've heard of the brands, and it doesn't feel like items that were leftover in some warehouse for years until they decided to send them to us (cough*birchbox*cough). Winners from the pictured box were the BKR water bottle I've been lusting after for years and a favorite sunscreen.

Overall, it's a fun investment for me. The box is more expensive, around 50 dollars, but only comes out 4 times a year, and the value is off the charts. I would definitely recommend it as a fun treat for yourself.

Hi! I'm Kyle, a recent college grad from suburban Boston. After graduation, I got a job in admissions at a boarding school in New England. This blog is all about my attempts to be a professional (ish) lady!